Tall drivers - advice wanted (road trip content)

[miket]

If you want a softer ride get a softer car! Just my opinion you knew what you were buying surely you had a test drive!

 

[philgarner]

If you want a softer ride get a softer car! Just my opinion you knew what you were buying surely you had a test drive!

I didn't particularly want a soft car. I want a damping setup that would let you use the car's performance on something less than glass-smooth roads!

I think it must be a combination of tired suspension and **** tyres on mine. Will fettle and report back.

 

[safrane]

Phil the GS is hard full stop.

The tyres and bushes may aid the ride but they will not change the fact the it has thin tyres and stiff suspension.

My car is almost identical to yours and I feel the same.

 

[Contigo]

So why is the GS so lauded on here if it will shake your fillings out?

 

[safrane]

Not by me Phil.

Yes wonderful sports car on great roads...but day to day on our poor roads with a decent load...well you cant have everything in a car, there has to be compromises.

 

[D Walker]

Not by me Phil.

Yes wonderful sports car on great roads...but day to day on our poor roads with a decent load...well you cant have everything in a car, there has to be compromises.

Have to say yours was a voice of reason when I was searching!

 

[BennyD]

Obviously not talking about Phil.

 

[miket]

My spyder knocks my fillings out on our wonderful roads, so how hardcore the GS is reported to be it must almost be like having no suspension at all!

 

[BennyD]

IIRC, facelift spyders have the same springs and suspension as the GS so, in effect are very much the same.

 

[miket]

Don't be fooled Benny mines an 02 model with facelift front & rear bumpers, why because she looks better & she has previously been lowered, hence the need to visit the dentist more frequently ....

 

[philgarner]

Today in the Eifel region in Germany I got overtaken by a small Mitsubishi SUV; the surface was bad so I couldn't carry speed like he could. Had the kids in the car so pinch of salt etc.



As a counter to that, went to the oldtimer grand prix at the Nürburgring today, road from Bitburg to there was just sublime in the GS. One of the best drives of my life. No traffic, no police, smooth flowing roads and great scenery.

 

[philgarner]

Couple of pics from today

 

[2b1ask1]

Blimey that is a rough bit of road!

 

[Swedish Paul]

I don't understand. I have a GS, just drove 1400km to Stockholm and back, 12 and 16year olds in the back. With luggage. As fast with kids and wife in tow as without. Used normal mode apart from overtaking. Huge acceleration. Brakes so, so. But stamp on them and they stop big time. Funny thing, the brakes, Brembos all round, but need a hefty push.

Did I mention the acceleration. But you have to select the right gear. And as I have found out, for smooth driving when coming to a stop, change to 1st at 2.500 revs. Not as you pull to a stop. I reckon the gearbox is programmed to think it's on a race track and not a road. Change down using higher revs, even in town, and the change is smooth. Can't feel the change from 2nd to 1st at 20 mph. Just the revs and the car saying "push me, push me".

 

[Swedish Paul]

Phihgarner, lovely colour by the way. Looks superb!!

 

[Rwc13]

I've had 3 GS and 2 GS Spyders over the years. The first GS had a terrible ride and only lasted 3 months mainly for this reason. However, i was persuaded to give the GS another go, and the others have been hugley better. My current GS rides well on rough roads even in Sport setting. In normal setting it is very compliant. I don't know why, but the GS Spyders seem to ride even softer than the GS.......something to do with the shorter wheelbase? And I am in a position at the moment of being able to drive them back to back. Anyway, my experience is it varies from car to car and so there must be something in either or both of the set up or the suspension wear that affects this quite significantly.

 

[Trev Latter]

Ah, the B258 is a lovely road. There's a lovely run from Adenau down to Cochem via the B257/ B259. Be sure to stop in the elevated layby as the road starts to descend into Cochem. Great views. There's a cable car in Cochem too which is well worth the trip, but the restaurant at the top is a bit pricey.

 

[Tufan]

Having recently driven from Istanbul to Izmir on a motorway with loaded trunk and 2 big guys at the front, the car was really fast when needed (have seen 260 kmh before I had to slow due to traffic). Mostly drove calmly as wife needed to catch up with kids in the A5 Sportback TFSI (225 HP) which is Sline with adaptive dampers and also 19" wheels. To compare, the GS is not harder at all from the A5, I feel quite comfortable at the front (found the right balance after some tests). I have an OBD tool which shows consumption around 17 lt per 100 km if I keep at avg speed of 150 km/h so you do the conversion.

Around the village I spend the holiday, roads are not the best and at normal mode, the GS is still good to drive.

I changed to yellow EBC recently and did hard braking test from 250 km/h and it quite good and no vibration.

I have a long straight which I could also test the top speed of the car and have been near 290 km/h. Had a GPS recorder (driftbox) with me and real top speed was a bit less but need to check. That's pretty fast for such a cruiser. Added a snapshot from the video which came very blurry. No comments pls on being over 280 and shooting, I know it all


I struggle with launching the car even I have new Pzeros and will ask separately. Probably the hot asphalt is one reason. Very low grip mostly where I test the launch.

 

[Tufan]

And the 280+ photo

Top speed from GS and A5 as explained above...

 

[BL330]

Wow still 500 rpm to go in top gear.
I wonder what vmax really is then?
For us there is a section of highway in central Australia north of Alice Springs that is now officially derestricted so we can try out vmax legally.
But there is no way you could do that at night with kangaroos everywhere.
The other thing is it's 2,774km from Sydney.